I don't want this to become an obit column, but it does seem like we're losing an awful lot of great character actors lately. Ford was one of the few survivors of classic Hollywood: great professionals who arrived on a set prepared and cheerful, ready to go through the motions and give the director what they were hired to give. We're losing a whole generation without realizing it... but I guess they're all getting on in years.
Like many young people, I'll always remember Ford for his role as Pa Kent in Richard Donner's original Superman (his photo can be spied on Eva Marie Saint's mantle in this summer's Superman Returns). He only has two scenes, but he made an impression. Particularly the scene in which he imparts his last piece of advice to his son (soon to become Superman), Ford's simple honesty shines. It's the kind of scene that you don't understand at 10, that you fast-forward through at 15, that you forget at 20 and by 30 you're lingering over it.
"You are here for a reason," he says in his easy, wise way, "I don't know whose reason, or what the reason is. Maybe it's.... well, I'll tell you one thing, it isn't to score touchdowns." It's not Polonius, but it's close.
I know that Ford had a long and distinguished career, but you could do a lot worse than being remembered as a good father.
:: posted by Ian Dawe, 8/31/2006 | Comments (4) Links to this post |
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Via don Dios, Bruno.
:: posted by Ian Dawe, 8/16/2006 | Comments (0) Links to this post |
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Danny Boyle's new science fiction film Sunshine sure looks promising, although it appears to tread on some familiar territory. Hopefully it turns out to be more Solaris than Supernova.
:: posted by Donald Melanson, 8/13/2006 | Comments (2) Links to this post |
Thursday, August 03, 2006
God help us all.
:: posted by Ian Dawe, 8/03/2006 | Comments (12) Links to this post |
Subscribe to our RSS feed: |